Innocence
by Rowan Irwin
Summary: Ambrose tries to make a crying DG feel better. Pre-Tin Man. Ambrose/DG


I don't own Tin Man or any or the characters in this story with the exception of Jeorge. Please review this is my first one shot and I have no idea what I am doing. This made me smile the whole time I was writing it. AND NO IT IS NOT PEDIFILEISH! It takes place before the Fanaqua trip of doom where Az was possessed by the evil witch.

He heard he before he saw her. The loud sobs and shaking curtains lead him directly to where the six year old Princess was curled up in the corner of his study.

"Hey Doll, whats wrong?" he asked bending down to her level and pushing a tear soaked curl out of her face.

"Ambrose!" she sobbed wrapping her arms tight around him and snuggling her face into his neck.

"He..he said I wasn't pretty...!" she choked out.

Ambrose stiffened. Who had dared make his Doll cry?! And to call her not pretty was a downright crime! He ought to give that punk a "dancing" lesson or two...._now now ...calm down._...he thought _she needs you with her, not making things worse with thoughtless actions._

"Who said that?" He asked with a bit more force then he had meant to use.

Dg looked at him with those big blue eyes and he again had the burning urge to choke the life out of whoever had made the Princess cry.

"Jeorge....He said that Az was pretty and I wasn't." She almost choked on her sisters name.

"_I_ think you are pretty." Ambrose said with a smile.

"But you're Mommy's Advisor and that makes you almost family so you have to say that." Dg pointed out.

Ambrose sat silent for a moment and then rose to his feet, lifting the princess as he did.

"Come here. I want to show you something."

He walked across the room to an ornately carved desk and opened the lid.

"Do you see that spot?"

He asked pointing to a large ink stain.

" Yes, I am sorry I spilled." Dg said "I didn't mean to."

Ambrose stroked her hair and smiled.

"Well I think its pretty, do you know why?"

Dg looked at the stain and back up at him.

"No." She said bluntly looking into his eyes.

He laughed. For some reason her honesty always caught him off guard.

"I think its pretty because when you spilled you were drawing a picture to cheer me up after I had a very bad day. It worked too." He admitted tapping the tip of her nose.

"Every time I see that stain I feel happy , even though that fool of a maid used the picture for kindling." His face darkened at that and Dg giggled.

He moved to the other room and set her down on the bed.

"How about this?" He held up a handful of crushed dried apple leaves that had been on the nightstand.

Dg didn't say anything she just watched.

Ambrose sat beside her and fingered the leaves thoughtfully.

"I think these leaves are more beautiful than the most gorgeous bouquet of roses from the hothouse." He said.

" You gave me these last month when I was too sick to go to Fanaqua with the rest of the court. You said if I couldn't go to Fanaqua then you would bring me back a piece of it...and you did."

He set the flowers down and walked to the mirror.

"You were the only one who came to visit me too." He remarked as an after thought.

He gestured her over to him.

Dg slowly meandered over to stand beside the man.

Ambrose bent down next to her.

"Look right there." He whispered pointing at her reflection.

"Right in your eyes."

"I don't see anything..." Dg frowned

"Ah but I do! I see the light of kindness shining right out of you! A light few people in the OZ have these days."

He stood and hugged her.

"And I think that is prettier than the most lovely of those painted ladies who go to the Queen's balls."

He broke the hug and looked right into her eyes.

"And I think that the person who knows you and still thinks you are not pretty is the most ignorant fool in the whole of the universe!"

"But what if no one _wants_ to know me! What if they never know how pretty I am! What if no one ever wants to marry me! What if I end up all by myself when Az has lots of kids and lots of people thinking she is pretty but no one wants to talk to me!"

She screwed up her face and looked about ready to bawl again.

Ambrose swiftly knelt down on one knee and took her small hand in his large one.

"Princess Dorthy Gale of The OZ, will you marry me?"

He asked in a low voice his dark hazel eyes twinkling and with a small smile on his face.

Dg giggled as she looked down.

"Thats silly!"

Ambrose laughed

"Maybe but you can't ever say that no one ever asked you now."

He said as he stood up and spun her around in a circle.

"You haven't answered my question, Doll." He joked after a minute or two.

Dg made a big show of thinking it over, her blue eyes sparking and smiling at him.

"Yes!" she finally said hugging his legs a big grin on her face.

Ambrose patted her on the head.

"I'll hold you to that princess." he teased.

"I'm going to go find Az and pick some apples!" Dg quipped seconds later, the trauma of before already forgotten .

"Goodbye Prince Ambrose!"

"Goodbye Doll!"

He yelled after her as she bounced out of the room.

Now what would be appropriate punishment for the boy who had made _HIS_ princess cry....an army of mechanical snakes in the perpetrators bed might just do the trick.

He quickly ran down to his workshop to look for some wire.

So what do you think? Please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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